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Forum réfugiés in Europe

Forum réfugiés is involved in several European initiatives.
1. As questions of asylum take on an increasingly European aspect, Forum réfugiés is bound to take an interest especially since the Treaty of Amsterdam and the Summit at Tampere in October 1999. We follow developments in Europe closely and have decided to take part and intervene at the public hearings of the European Parliament and other meetings arranged within the EU.

In 2002 Forum réfugiés established a group of staff from a number of its departments with a focus on Europe. This group works with the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) network and the European group for the co-ordination of the right of asylum. Amongst the various tasks undertaken are :
• An in depth study of European legislation about asylum
• Commentaries on the principal texts being discussed between European nations
• Taking a position on these same texts

2. Forum réfugiés has been a member of ECRE since June 1999 and takes part in a number of European projects concerned with asylum and refugees. In this the combined group of NGOs can take a stand on questions being debated in the institutions of the EU. The network consists of 70 NGOs across the EU and central and Western Europe. We ensure that the messages agreed in this way are transmitted to the relevant advisers in the Ministries in France. Occasionally we will issue a press communiques.

3. Forum réfugiés also runs activities within the framework of European programmes for the reception and integration of refugees in the member states of the EU. Thus Forum réfugiés has been receiving funds from the European Fund for Refugees, for several of its projects since 2000.
• These projects aim to fill certain lacunae in the current French system for receiving asylum seekers. They are concerned especially with those people who did not benefit from accommodation in communal centres, and also help reinforce advisory services in the legal, administrative and social areas. Furthermore these funds are being used both to increase the actual number of places for very vulnerable refugees, and to make the public more aware of the refugee question.

4. In 2001 Forum réfugiés was also a partner in a project financed by the EU and managed by the Italian Council for refugees, which had as its purpose to strengthen the collaboration on asylum between those southern members of the ECRE (Spain, Greece, Italy Portugal and France) This project baptised SUCRE (Southern European network of ECRE) lasted a year. The project concentrated on three themes: the Dublin convention, the gypsies from the Balkans, and refugees arriving by boat in the Mediterranean.
This project also financed two training sessions in Greece and Italy for our staff and for us to welcome two trainees from Italy.

5. Finally we have tendered for the EQUAL community initiative which comes under the European Social Fund (ESF). The purpose of the project is to help the social and professional integration of those with refugee status in the Lyon area. Forum réfugiés has been selected for his project called Accelair whch has been conducted from 2002 to 2005.